Michael Suen
Encyclopedia
Michael Suen Ming-yeung GBS
CBE
JP
is currently the Secretary for Education of Hong Kong.
, a male-only Jesuit
school in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Government in 1966 as an Administrative Officer and was promoted to the rank of Director of Bureau in January 1991. During the early years of his career, he served in the former New Territories Administration, Resettlement Department and Environment Branch.
He was appointed Secretary for Constitutional Affairs
in March 1989 and Secretary for Home Affairs
in November 1991. He continued his post as Secretary for Home Affairs on July 8, 1997 and took up the appointment as Secretary for Constitutional Affairs on August 4, 1997. Suen took up the post of Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands
on 1 July, 2002.
Upon the resignation of Donald Tsang
on May 25, 2005, he assumed the post as the acting Chief Secretary for Administration
, until Rafael Hui
was appointed. In July 2007, he took over the position of Secretary for Education after Arthur Li
retired.
Around 2007 he was known for pushing trilingual education with English
, Cantonese
and Putonghua to boost Hong Kong's competitiveness.
finally camped out at Suen's house in Happy Valley
to protest. Public housing citizens were suffering from excessive rent increase, and the activists tried to voice the concern. The protest turned violent outside his home, with five policemen and one protester injured. Leung was also arrested.
. He then illegally extended the size of his home to make it bigger. As the former Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands
, his own staff even warned him about the illegal extension. They sent him a letter in April 2006 to remove the extension, and he ignored it. In 2011, five years after the notice, he finally agree to reduce the structure. Both the pan-democrat and pro-Beijing
camps have criticised him. Some have hinted that he should resign.
Hong Kong honours system
The existing Hong Kong honours system was created after transfer of government of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China as a special administrative region in 1997...
CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
is currently the Secretary for Education of Hong Kong.
Education
Suen attended Wah Yan College, Hong KongWah Yan College, Hong Kong
Wah Yan College, Hong Kong is an eminent grant-in-aid secondary school in Hong Kong. It was founded on 16 December 1919, by Tsui Yan Sau Peter . It is a Roman Catholic secondary school for boys run by the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus...
, a male-only Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
school in Hong Kong.
Career
He joined the colonialColonial Hong Kong
In the 19th century the British, Dutch, French, Indians and Americans saw Imperial China as the world's largest untapped market. In 1840 the British Empire launched their first and one of the most aggressive expeditionary forces to claim the territory that would later be known as Hong Kong.In a few...
Hong Kong Government in 1966 as an Administrative Officer and was promoted to the rank of Director of Bureau in January 1991. During the early years of his career, he served in the former New Territories Administration, Resettlement Department and Environment Branch.
He was appointed Secretary for Constitutional Affairs
Secretary for Constitutional Affairs
The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs is the head of the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, which is responsible for promoting the Basic Law, constitutional affairs, electoral development, and coordinate liaison between the Hong Kong government and the relevant mainland...
in March 1989 and Secretary for Home Affairs
Secretary for Home Affairs
The Secretary for Home Affairs is the head of the Home Affairs Bureau of the Government of Hong Kong, which is responsible for local issues, and the provision of community, leisure, and cultural services.-List of office holders:*Donald Luddington 1971-1973...
in November 1991. He continued his post as Secretary for Home Affairs on July 8, 1997 and took up the appointment as Secretary for Constitutional Affairs on August 4, 1997. Suen took up the post of Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands
Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands
The Hong Kong Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands was the head of the Housing, Planning and Lands Bureau, which was responsible for urban planning policy, public housing and the management and selling of public lands...
on 1 July, 2002.
Upon the resignation of Donald Tsang
Donald Tsang
Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, GBM, KBE is the current Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of the Government of Hong Kong....
on May 25, 2005, he assumed the post as the acting Chief Secretary for Administration
Chief Secretary for Administration
The Chief Secretary for Administration , commonly known as Chief Secretary and abbreviated as CS, is the second highest position of the Hong Kong Government...
, until Rafael Hui
Rafael Hui
Rafael Hui Si-yan, GBM GBS JP was the former Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong and a former career civil servant. Hui has been dubbed "Old Master Hui" and "Fat Dragon" . Hui was appointed as a Justice of the Peace on 1986 and received the honour of Gold Bauhinia Star in 1998.Hui...
was appointed. In July 2007, he took over the position of Secretary for Education after Arthur Li
Arthur Li
Arthur Li Kwok-cheung GBS JP was a member of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Secretary for Education and Manpower from August 2002 to June 2007....
retired.
Around 2007 he was known for pushing trilingual education with English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
and Putonghua to boost Hong Kong's competitiveness.
2007 protest at home
For years as a housing chief, Suen denied to meet with housing rights activists. This bottled-up to year 2007, when about 30 activists including Longhair Leung Kwok-hungLeung Kwok-hung
Leung Kwok-hung , also known as Long Hair , is a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong , a founding member of the League of Social Democrats and a democratic political activist.-Biography:Leung is a self-proclaimed Trotskyist and a member of April Fifth Action, a radical socialist...
finally camped out at Suen's house in Happy Valley
Happy Valley, Hong Kong
Happy Valley is a mostly residential suburb of Hong Kong, located in the northern part of Hong Kong Island. Administratively, it is part of Wan Chai District....
to protest. Public housing citizens were suffering from excessive rent increase, and the activists tried to voice the concern. The protest turned violent outside his home, with five policemen and one protester injured. Leung was also arrested.
Illegal extension case
In 1994 Suen purchased a new home, the low-rise Shuk Yuen building in Green Lane Happy ValleyHappy Valley, Hong Kong
Happy Valley is a mostly residential suburb of Hong Kong, located in the northern part of Hong Kong Island. Administratively, it is part of Wan Chai District....
. He then illegally extended the size of his home to make it bigger. As the former Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands
Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands
The Hong Kong Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands was the head of the Housing, Planning and Lands Bureau, which was responsible for urban planning policy, public housing and the management and selling of public lands...
, his own staff even warned him about the illegal extension. They sent him a letter in April 2006 to remove the extension, and he ignored it. In 2011, five years after the notice, he finally agree to reduce the structure. Both the pan-democrat and pro-Beijing
Pro-Beijing Camp
The Pro-Beijing Camp, pro-Establishment Camp, pan-Establishment Camp is a segment of Hong Kong society that supports the policies and views of the People's Republic of China before and after the handover of Hong Kong in 1997.It is also nicknamed the royalists or loyalists.The term can be used to...
camps have criticised him. Some have hinted that he should resign.